Printing machine having a type impression inking ribbon



P 6- E. G. MOSH IER 2,053,675 r PRINTING MACHINE HAVING A TYPE IMPRESSION INKING RIBBON Filed March 20, l955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS N Sept. 3, 1936. I 2,053,675-

E. G. MOSHIER PRINTING MACHINE HAVING A TYPE IMPRESSION INKING RIBBON Filed March 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w .2 h J] 32 Z6 10 11 5 263? 26 26 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MACHINE HAVING A IMPRESSION INKING RIBBON Application March 20, 1935, Serial No. 11,911

15 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in printing machines having a type impression inking ribbon.

machines. The invention relates particularly to improvements in the means whereby the type impressions made by such machines are inked, and the main purpose of the invention is to provide an impression inking means for such machines which will assure uniform, or substantially uniform, inking of all type impressions made by the machine during the entire life of the impression inking ribbon element of the impression inking means or up to the time the ribbon be- -3 comes worn out.

A specific purpose of the invention is to make provision, in an impression inking means of the kind wherein the ribbon is reeled alternately upon two spools to feed it back and forth past the printing point and has ink fed directly thereto at two points located intermediate the spools and the printing point, whereby equal re-inking is attained from end to end, or substantially so, of that portion of the ribbon which is cargg, ried or fed back and forth past the printing point, and whereby progressive accumulation of fed ink by those portions of the ribbon which cannot pass the printing point is prevented. The present invention provides, in an impression ink- 30 ing means of the kind referred to, for the uniform, or substantially uniform, transfer of the fed ink received by those portions of the ribbon which do not require the ink because they do not pass the printing point to those parts of that portion of the ribbon which does pass the printing point which require a like quantity of the fed ink to restore their ink content to equality with the remaining part of the said portion of the ribbon which passes the printing point.

=10 Preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention in a. known typewriting machine, only so much of which machine is shown as is necessary for a clear understanding of the invention, are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary top plan view of a typewriting machine embodying the invention, the impression inking ribbon being shown fed as far as possible toward the right, i. e. the parts 50 are positioned as at the instant at which reeling of the ribbon upon the right hand spool ceases and reeling of the ribbon upon the left hand spool commences;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of 55 Fig. 1;

Examples of such machines are typewriting machines and recording calculating Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a, modified construction of typewriting machine embodying the invention; and 5 Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatlc views each showing, as more fully hereinafter described,

a different form of impression inking ribbon attached to two ribbon spools.

In the machine shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, the 10 impression inking ribbon or printing ribbon l0 consists as usual of absorptive fabric and is impregnated from end to end thereof with ink as usual. This inked fabric ribbon is fed longitudinally back and forth in a well known manner by a suitable automatically reversible ribbon feeding mechanism of the machine, which mechanism includes two ribbon spools ll mounted at opposite sides of the machine on the usual two alternately driven spool shafts l2 journalled in the main frame of the machine, which frame includes the usual top plate Ill. The ribbon passes through the usual ribbon vibrator, or up and down vibrating ribbon guide, 13 of the machine, which vibrator or guide is actuated to interpose the ribbon in the known manner between the type and the paper at a printing point P at each printing stroke of any one of the usual pivoted type bars of the machine. One of said type bars is shownat M in Fig. l. The usual roller platen l5 of the machine is mounted on the usual traveling platen carriage (not shown) of the machine, and the type print at a common printing point P, the machine having the usual type bar guide H with which the ribbon spools by means of ribbon anchoring prongs l6 one of which is formed on the hub of each spool.

Means are provided for supplying ink during operation of the machine uniformly to the ribbon at two points along the path of ribbon travel, which two points are located at opposite sides of the machine and equidistant from the printing point, one of said points of ink supply being located between the left hand ribbon spool and the printing point and the other between the right hand ribbon spool and the printing point. The distance between the left hand spool and the adjacent point of ink supply is the same as that 5 between the right hand spool and the adjacent point of ink supply, the two spools being located equal distances from the printing point. Preferably, as shown, the ink is supplied by two like ink-feeding devices 9 located at opposite sides of the machine adjacent the respective ribbon spools ll. Each of these inking devices is driven from the ribbon where the ribbon extends between the adjoining spool and the printing point and is so constructed as to feed ink to the ribbon during travel of the ribbon in both directions.

Each of these inking devices comprises an ink reservoir 20; a supporting arm or bracket 2| rigidly affixed to the reservoir and detachably held to the top plate I8 of the machine frame by a pair of screws 22; an upstanding open-ended tube or pump stator 23 which extends down through the top wall of the reservoir 20 nearly to the bottom wall of the reservoir and is stationarily held to the top wall of the reservoir; an upstanding roller or pump rotor 24 which rotates and fits closely in stator 23 and extends through said stator with its rounded lower end resting on the bottom wall of the reservoir 20; a rotary ink applicr 25 located above the reservoir and journalled (as on a bearing post 26 held to the top wall of the reservoir) to rotate about an upstanding axis with its periphery contacting the periphery of the rotor 24 near the upper end of the rotor and stator; a ribbon driven pulley 2! located above the reservoir and journalled (as on a bearing post 28 held to the top wall of the reservoir) to rotate about an upstanding axis with the periphery of the pulley 2'! closely opposed to the periphery of the ink applicr 25 at a point I located diametrically opposite the point of contact between the peripheries of the ink applicr 25 and the rotor 24: a pair of closely juxtaposed ribbonguiding pulleys 29 located at the opposite side of pulley 2'! from ink applier 25 and journalled on upstanding bearing, posts 30 held to the top wall of the reservoir: a gear 31 fixed on the hub of ribbon-driven pulley 21: a gear 32 fixed on the hub of the ink applier 25 and meshing with gear 3|; and a gear 33 fixed on the upper end of pump rotor 24 and meshing with gear 32. The reservoir 20 has a suitable filling opening in its top wall, and a suitable closure cap 34 for said opening, which cap is provided with an air vent 35.

Preferably there is mounted on the top wall of the reservoir of each inking device 9 a fixed ribbon guide 35 through which the ribbon I0 is threaded intermediate the printing point and the pair of pulleys 29 of the inking device, said fixed guides 36 preventing vibration of the ribbon by vibrator l3 relatively to said pairs of pulleys of the inking devices. The ribbon I0 is guided in and out between the pair of pulleys 29 of each inking device, and, in passing from one to the other of these pulleys of each inker, is guided to pass in a horseshoe bend about the ribbon-driven pulley 2! of the inking device, pulley 21 and ink applier 25 of each inking device being so arranged that the ribbon 1D in passing over pulley 21 contacts the ink applier at a point I diametrically opposite rotor 25 of the inking device, at which point the ribbon is backed by pulley 2'! at one face at a point at which ink applier 25 contacts the opposite face of the ribbon.

During longitudinal feeding of the ribbon in each direction, the ribbon drives pulley 21 of each inker at a speed having a fixed relation to the speed of longitudinal feed of the ribbon, and said pulleys drive their associated ink appliers and pump rotors through the described gearing to lift ink from the reservoirs of the two inkers and apply lifted ink to the ribbon at the two points I.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the inking devices are so arranged, as shown, that the ink appliers of the two inking devices apply ink to that face of the ribbon H] which is struck by the type on the printing strokes of the type bars. Fig. 4 illustrates a construction similar in all respects except (1) that the parts of the two inking devices (one of which is designated 9 in Fig. 4) are so arranged that the ink appliers thereof apply ink to the ribbon at points I at that face of the ribbon which is presented to the paper or plat-en instead of to that face which is struck by the type, and (2) that the ink applier 25 (Fig. 4) is of much smaller diameter than that of ink applier 25 of the inking devices of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and may be a roller instead of a thin edged disk or wheel such as devices 25 illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the machine of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and in the machine of Fig. 4, the circumference of the hub ll of each ribbon spool II is equal, or at least substantially equal to the length of that portion of the impression inking ribbon which extends, at the instant of reversal of the direction of ribbon feed, from the printing point P to inking point I of the inking device located adjacent the empty spool, and also equal, or substantially equal, to the length of that portion of the ribbon which extends from the printing point P to the inking point I of the inking device located adjacent the full spool, the lengths of said two portions of the ribbon being equal for reasons heretofore described. The purpose of this construc- 3 tion is to insure that, as the ribbon is fed from either point of reversal of ribbon feed, the two portions of the ribbon which extend from the printing point P to inking points I of the two inking devices at the instant of ribbon feed reversal will be laid from end to end of both thereof in face contact with each other during winding of the ribbon upon the empty spool and during the first few revolutions of the empty spool in reverse feed direction. Since printing ribbons are commonly made very thin, from 2 to 4 thousandths of an inch thick, a convenient manner of attaining this result may be, as shown in the drawings. to make the circumference of each ribbon spool hub equal to the length of that portion of the ribbon which extends, at the instant of ribbon feed reverse, from the ribbon end at the empty spool to point I of the inking device adjoining that spool, and equal also to the distance from the printing point P to the ink applying point I of each of the inking devices 9 or 9 If very heavy ribbons are used, or very substantial variations in length exist between the distance from the end of the ribbon at the empty spool to point I of the adjoining inker and the distance from said point I to the printing point, for greatest uniformity of ribbon inking, compensation should, of course, be made for variation in the effective circumference upon which the two portions of the ribbon between point P and point I will be wound upon reversal of ribbon feed. The important thing is that, in winding the ribbon upon the empty spool, the two parts of the ribbon which extended, at the instant of ribbon feed reversal, from the printing point to inking points I of the two inkers should each lap once (and only once) around the hub of that spool, and should so lap or wind one after the other in face contact with each other from end to end of each thereof.

aosaevs In the two machines shown in Figs. 1 to 5. the pump stator, the pump rotor and the ink applier of each ink feeding device are all formed of metal or other material which is non-absorptive of the non-drying ink 31 contained in the ink reservoir of each feeding device. Ink 3'! may be ink wherein the coloring matter is in solution in a suitable vehicle, or may be ink wherein the coloring matter is in suspension in a suitable vehicle. The gearing 3l-32-33 connecting the ribbondriven pulley, the ink applier and the pump rotor of each ink feeding device is preferably such that these three elements rotate with identical or substantially identical peripheral speeds. During longitudinal feeding in either direction of the ribbon of either of said machines, the resultant rotative driving of the ink-appliers and pump rotors of the two inking devices of the machine causes a film of ink to rise up the periphery of each pump rotor to the periphery of the associated ink applier, and causes the ink appliers to carry ink on their peripheries from said film to the ribbon l and apply the ink thus carried to the ribbon ill at the respective ink-applying points I of the respective inking devices.

The ribbon i0 consists of fabric ribbon which is absorptive of ink from face to face and from end to end and which is pre-inked or impregnated with ink from end to end before being placed in the machine. Various other forms of ribbons, some of which are hereinafter described may be substituted for the ribbon l0.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of impression inking ribbon I G is shown attached to the spool hubs ll of the ribbon spools II. This form of ribbon ill may be substituted in either of the two forms of machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to for the ribbon l0. In Fig. 7 a third form of impression inking ribbon and in Fig. 8 a fourth form of impression inking ribbon W either of which may be substituted in the machine shown in Fig. 4 for the ribbon ill of that machine, are respectively shown attached to the hubs of the ribbon spools of that machine.

In each of Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 8, the two right and left hand end portions AB of the ribbon are the respective portions, one of which, at each of the respective limits of feed of the ribbon, extends from inking point I of the inking device associated with the empty spool to that end of the ribbon which is attached to the empty spool; the two portions BC of the ribbon are the respective portions of the ribbon one of which, at each of the respective limits of feed of the ribbon, extends from the printing point P to the inking point I of the inking device associated with the empty spool; and CC represents the remaining or main middle portion of the ribbon and is the entire portion of the ribbon which is fed past the printing point by the reeling of the ribbon alternateiy upon the spools. Both portions AB of each ribbon are of the same length, and, in the constructions shown are of the same length as each of the two portions BC of the ribbon, the two latter portions of the ribbon being of identical length.

Ribbon Ill differs from ribbon ill in that its two end portions A-B are non-absorptive of ink, the remaining portion B-B of the ribbon being absorptive of ink from face to face and from end to end of the latter and impregnated with ink before being placed in the machine. Ribbon H] is preferably formed of absorptive fabric and has its end portions AB made non-absorptive by impregnating (or both impregnating and surface portions B-C of ribbon lo are made non-ab- 10 sorptive of ink.

Ribbon HJ differs from ribbon It! only in that the two portions BC of ribbon 10 are nonabsorptive of ink instead of the two portions A-B, and in that the absorptive portions A-B of ribbon I 0 are preferably not pre-inked.

Portion C-C of each of the ribbons lfl and W are absorptive of ink and pre-inked before the ribbon is placed in the machine as in the case of portion B-B of ribbon I 0. In the case of each of the ribbons Ill I0 and 3 the portions above described as non-absorptive of ink may, if desired, be ink-proofed or coated with material nonabsorptive of ink, only on that face of the ribbon which is presented to the paper and which faces outwardly when the ribbon is reeled on either spool.

Referring to either Fig. 1 or Fig. 4, it will be observed that during each complete cycle of operation of the automatically reversible ribbon feeding means, i. e. during the feeding of the ribbon from one limit of its longitudinal feed to the other and back again, portion (2-0 of the impression inking ribbon is fed twice past the printing and is acted on by the type during each direction of its feed to ink the type impressions. During this same cycle or period neither of the two portions A-B and neither of the two portions BC of the ribbon either passes the printing point or is acted upon by the type. It will also be observed that, during this same cycle or period, neither portion A-B of the ribbon receives ink from either of the inking devices; the left hand portion BC of the ribbon is twice inked by the left hand inking device; the right hand portion BC of the ribbon is twice inked by the right hand inking device; two end parts of portion C-C of the ribbon, each equal in length to the adjoining one of the two parts BC of the ribbon, receive ink from only a single one of the two inking devices, each so receiving ink from a difierent one of said inking devices and receiving it twice therefrom; and the remaining or main central part of portion CC of the ribbon receives ink four times, twice from each of the two inking devices. During each said period or cycle, however, each of the said end parts of portion (3-0 of the ribbon is laid in face contact from end to end thereof with the adjoining one of the two parts BC of the ribbon from end to end of said adjoining one of the parts BC for quick, direct and uniform transfer of the ink fed to said part B-C to the said under-inked end part of portion C-C laid thereon.

What I claim is:

l. A printing machine of the kind wherein an impression inking ribbon is automatically reeled back and forth past a printing point from one to the other of two spools, and has ink fed thereto by ink supplying means during such reeling at two points located between the printing point and the respective spools, characterized in that the spools are so constructed and arranged that after each reversal of direction of feed of the ribbon, there are reeled upon the empty spool, in face contact with each other from end to end of both thereof, those two portions of the ribbon which extended from the printing point to the respective ones of said two inking points at the instant of feed reversal.

2. A printing machine of the kind wherein an impression inking ribbon is automatically reeled upon first one and then the other of two ribbon spools to feed the ribbon back and forth past the printing point of the machine, having means for supplying ink, during feeding of the ribbon, to said ribbon at two points in passing between which the ribbon is fed past the printing point of the machine for expulsion of ink from the ribbon by type to ink the type impressions made by the machine, which two ink supply points are so located that, following each reversal of direction of ribbon feed, those two parts of the ribbon which at the instant of ribbon feed reversal extended from the printing point to the respective ones of said two ink supply points are reeled into face contact with each other from end to end of both said parts.

3. In a printing machine of the kind wherein type impressions are inked at a printing point by ink expelled by the types from an impression inking ribbon which is automatically reeled from one to the other of two ribbon spools to feed the ribbon back and forth past the printing point, the combination with the ribbon and its spools of means for feeding ink to said ribbon at opposite sides of the printing point at two such points that, following each reversal of direction of ribbon feed, the spool upon which the ribbon is being reeled winds into face contact substantially throughout their lengths, those two portions of the ribbon which, at the instant of feed direction reversal, extended from the printing point to the respective ones of said two points at which the ink feeding means feeds ink to said ribbon.

4. In a printing machine of the kind wherein the type expel ink at a printing point from an impression inking ribbon which is automatically reeled back and forth past the printing point from one to the other of two ribbon reeling spools, the combination of an impression inking ribbon, a pair of ribbon reeling spools located equidistant from the printing point and to which said ribbon is attached at its ends, and mea s for feeding ink to said ribbon between the spools and the printing point at two such points equidistant from the printing point, one located between each spool and the printing point, that those two portions of the ribbon which extend at the instant of reversal of the reeling, from the printing point to the respective ones of said ink feeding points will become wound, into face contact with each other from end to end of both said portions, upon that one of the spools upon which the ribbon is next thereafter reeled.

5. A typewriting machine of the kind wherein an impression inking ribbon is automatically reeled back and forth past the printing point from one to the other of two ribbon spools, having means for feed ng ink to said ribbon at two points located at opposite sides of the printing point of the machine and equidistant from said printing point, and also having its two ribbon spools constructed and arranged for reeling of said ribbon back and forth past said three points and reeling into face contact, substantially from end to end of both thereof following each direction of ribbon reeling reversal, those two portions of the ribbon which extended, at the instant of such reversal, from the printing point to the respective ones of said two points of ink feed of the ink feeding means.

6. A typewriting machine, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ink-feeding means is actuated from the ribbon to feed ink to the ribbon at a rate bearing a uniform relation to the rate oi. ribbon feed.

'7. A printing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ink-supplying means is directly actuated by the ribbon to supply ink to the ribbon at a fixed rate per unit length of ribbon fed by the ribbon-feeding means.

8. A printing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ribbon is absorptive of ink from end to end and from face to face thereof.

9. A printing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ribbon is non-absorptive of ink except throughout that portion thereof which is fed past the printing point.

10. A printing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ribbon is absorptive of ink from face to face thereof throughout its length except two end portions of the ribbon which are not fed past the respective ink supply points.

11. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ribbon is absorptive from end to end.

12. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ribbon is non-absorptive of ink, at the face thereof from which ink is forced to make inked impressions, throughout those end portions of the ribbon which are not reeled past the printing point.

13. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ribbon, at its face from which ink is discharged to ink type impressions, is nonabsorptive of ink throughout those end portions of the ribbon which are not reelable past the ink feeding points of the ribbon inking means.

14. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the two spools are located equidistant from the printing point and the hub circumference of each spool corresponds substantially with the distance from the printing point to each of the two points at which the ink feeding means feeds ink to the ribbon.

15. A printing machine as claimed in claim 1, 

